1. Technological Field
This invention pertains generally to neural signal recording and stimulation, and more particularly to a micro electrode apparatus and method which uses a moving window and optimized weighting matrix.
2. Background Discussion
Spatial resolution has its limits when using traditional disk electrodes for different neural signal recording (i.e., Electroencephalography (EEG), electrocorticography (ECoG)). The spatial resolution of the recording electrodes depends on the electrode size and the properties of the mediate tissue located between the electrodes and the neural signal location.
Several methods have been proposed for creating high-resolution electrode systems by directly employing dense electrode arrays for large channel-count neural sensing. These proposed approaches typically suffer from high mutual signal levels which arise in adjacent electrodes due to low spatial resolution. One such method uses spatial filters. However, the use of spatial filters are not configured to provide optimization under different neural recording conditions, resolution, combinations of electrode size and pitch between electrodes, and combinations thereof. Another such method using dense electrode arrays utilizes surface Laplacian ring electrodes providing concentric ring electrodes with weightings based on Laplacian or optimal calculations to improve spatial resolution in certain multiple ring areas. However, use of a ring structure has limited scalability.
Accordingly, a need exists for providing high resolution neural sensing and stimulation.